Heart Walk - Sunday September 15

As the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute celebrates its 10th anniversary, the organization's impact on the well-being of those living in the region is clear: lives have been saved and patients are getting high-quality cardiovascular care close to home.

CMHVI and CMMC, working with the region's Emergency Medical Services professionals, have developed a very effective system for providing emergency cardiac care. EMS providers are now trained to assist with heart attack diagnosis 'in the field', allowing care providers at CMHVI-CMMC to be ready to deliver interventional services that are saving lives and minimizing disability related to heart attacks.

CMHVI care providers deliver a variety of medical, surgical and nursing services in an attractive, technically-current environment. These services extend from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation, education and community support.

Despite ongoing efforts, healthcare professional at CMHVI understand that they face the same challenge their counterparts confront nationwide: The health of Americans is at a tipping point. Some experts predict that today's children will not live as long as their parents. If this comes to be, it will mark the first time that an entire American generation's life expectancy dropped.

Currently, less than 1 percent of the population, and no young people between 12 and 19 years of age, meet the American Heart Association's (AHA) criteria for ideal cardiovascular (CV) health. Yet, in an AHA survey, 39 percent of the population rated themselves as being in ideal CV health.

In order to reach its goal of improving cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent by 2020, the American Heart Association and the nation's healthcare providers must increase the number of people who understand the link between their overall health and their risk of heart disease and stroke.

Most people will be shocked to learn that one third of U.S. children are overweight or obese, putting them at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Research has shown that some 12-year-olds have 45 year old hearts! Heart Disease is the number 1 killer and stroke is the number 4 killer of all Americans.

The health of the United States has hit a new low, with millions of Americans at risk for heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association are responding to this crisis with a new national movement designed to change the way Americans think about their health. It's called My Heart. My Life. It's about embracing an overall healthier lifestyle to improve cardiovascular health. The Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute supports this initiative.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has developed a number of activities under the umbrella of My Heart. My Life. Among them: increased health education, advocacy for better public policy in important health areas such as anti-smoking laws, and helping communities find ways to eat healthier and stay physically active